Is Grappa Only for Men?

Contributed by Daniel Rogov, wine writer

Many years ago, during my first visit to Italy, and perhaps overly influenced by the memoirs of Italo Calvino, I was enormously impressed by those men who would start their days by standing at the polished brass bar of their neighborhood cafe, there to drink a glass of the brandy known as grappa even before they would have their first cup of coffee. It took several weeks to work up my courage, but one morning in Bologna I made the plunge and started my day with such a ritual.

I would never have admitted it then, but can now confess that my head was in a fog for the entire day that followed. I had no idea during those early days that the grappa adored by most Italians and served in the most popular cafes and bars in the country could be so absolutely vile. Fortunately, especially considering its increasing world-wide popularity, there are also some very good examples of grappa to be found.

"Grappa" is the Italian term for any brandy that is made from the residue of grape skins, stalks and seeds that have been left over after the grapes have been pressed to make wines. After this mass has been fermented it is matured in oak barrels to give it color and, with luck, a bit of flavor and finesse. Known in France as "marc" (don't pronounce the "c"), in Portugal as "bagaciera" and in Spain and most of South America as "aguardiente", most of this brandy is made by growers for their private consumption. Even though the poorer examples of these brandies are fiery, raw and highly alcoholic, Frenchmen, Italians and knowledgeable tourists have always enjoyed making pilgrimages, traveling from village to village in search of the best marc to be found.